This week our European Rugby Challenge Cup focus is on Dragons, who have been drawn in Pool 1 with two-time winners ASM Clermont Auvergne and Northampton Saints, along with Romanian club Timisoara Saracens. What is their Challenge Cup record like? The Welsh region have reached the semi-finals three times in eight seasons, but each time have fallen at that hurdle. In 2006/7, their first season in the competition, they lost 29-46 in the last four to Clermont, one of their Pool opponents this term. They then exited the tournament at the Pool stage in 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14, before qualifying for the semi-finals in successive campaigns. On each occasion, though, they were beaten, losing 16-45 at Edinburgh Rugby in 2014/15 and 12-22 at Montpellier in 2015/16. Last season they finished second in Pool 1, 12 points behind Newcastle Falcons, who would go on to reach the semi-final stage. https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1009425816260939776 Who is on their coaching staff? Head coach is Irishman Bernard Jackman, who won the European Cup with Leinster Rugby as a player in 2009 and made a total of 64 European appearances for them, Sale Sharks and Connacht Rugby. The 42-year-old former Ireland hooker cut his coaching teeth with All-Ireland League side Clontarf before joining Grenoble in 2011 as forwards coach. He was then promoted to head coach in 2016 and spent one season in that role before his switch to Dragons. His coaches are Shaun Connor (backs), former Wales prop Ceri Jones (forwards), South African Hendre Marnitz (defence) and Barry Maddocks (skills). Who are their new signings? Dragons have undergone a major shake-up of their playing staff as they bid to launch a two-pronged attack in the Guinness PRO14 and in Europe. They have signed two former Challenge Cup winners in back-row forward Ross Moriarty and 34-year-old hooker Richard Hibbard, who both won the trophy with Gloucester Rugby in 2015 and also helped the English club reach the final last season. The pair are among five Welsh internationals moving to Rodney Parade, the others being prop Aaron Jarvis, who appeared for Clermont in the 2017 Champions Cup final, prop Ryan Bevington from Bristol Bears and wing Daf Howells from Ospreys. Dragons' other main capture is New Zealand-born Samoan international lock Brandon Nansen, who has joined from Stade Français Paris. https://twitter.com/dragonsrugby/status/1011156631063814144 Who are their other top players? 36-year-old former Wales centre Gavin Henson features for Dragons, having amassed 279 points in 51 European appearances for Swansea, Ospreys, Saracens, Cardiff Blues, London Welsh, Bath Rugby and Dragons. They also boast the ex-South Africa full-back Zane Kirchner, who played 21 times for Leinster Rugby in the European Cup before moving to Wales. The Dragons' squad contains four members of the Wales touring party to Argentina this summer – co-captain and lock Cory Hill, wing Hallam Amos, hooker Elliot Dee and flanker Aaron Wainwright. What are they saying about the draw? Jackman: "It’s a tough draw for us, but for supporters, players or as a coach, taking on the likes of Northampton Saints and Clermont is exactly what you want. I'm sure the supporters will all be talking about it and getting excited, and the playing group will be no different. We want to pit ourselves against the best and that's definitely the case in this group." The fixtures for the new season will be announced around two weeks after the announcement of the last fixture list from the European professional domestic leagues.